Polishing machine



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Original Filed May 4, 1932 L.. S. CASTONGUAY POLISHING MACHINE 5Sheets-Sheet l /m/E/vme. 1.5571525 (26m/5am DECEA'SED.

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ATI'ORNEY April 9, -1935. L.. s. CAST'ONGUAY i 199967903 POLISHINGMACHINE l' original Filed may 4, 1952 s sheets-Sheet 2 PH' 99 935 l L..s. cAsToNGUAY 1,996,903

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vrATTO Y Patented Apr. 9, 1935 UNITED STATES POLISHING MACHINE 1 LegerS. Castonguay, deceased, late of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, by JosephineA.Castonguay, administratrix, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assigner to TheChemical Rubber Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication May 4, 1932, serial No. 669,214 L Renewed August 23, 1934124 Claims. (Cl. 51--124) This invention relates'to automatic polishingmachines yandin particular polishing machines for the preparationV ofspecimens or" microscopic study.'

5 It is the object'of this invention to provide a polishing machine forthe preparation ofplane polished specimens for microscopic study whichproduces uniformly a high quality of product without requiring anypeculiar skill or experience on the part of the operator. v

Themachine consists essentially or` a horizontal polishing discmountedon a duralurninum casting which has been heat treated. This casting isattached rigidly to a cast iron table to prevent any possibility ofdistortion. 'The polishing disc is belt driven by means of a one-fourthhorse power motorvand rotates at four hundred revolutionsper minute. A Y

Passing vertically through theA shaft carrying the polishing disc is asecond spindle to which is attached an eccentric gear. This eccentricgear drives the specimen holders, of which there are three, in such away that the specimen is slowly moved back andvforth along the radius ofthe rotating disc. Y Y v At the same time the specimen is slo-wlyrotatedsog'that the direction in which'it is polished is continually changed.The gear reduction for the v rotating of the specimen is4 accomplishedby a train of Vgears contained in av gear box' located directly beneaththe main drive pulley. The re-V armV in contact with the centraleccentric gear.l

7One, two, or three specimens can be polished at the same' time. vThearms can also rbe disengaged while the ymachine is in operation. 'l Y pThe specimen holder containing the specimen is 'held positively in itssleeve with. just enough clearance so that the Weight ofthe specimenwill bring it in contact with the polishing disc. The tolerance,however, is so close that there is no appreciable play between thespecimen holder and sleeve. l r

As a general rule', the weight ofthe mounted specimen is sufficient toprovide the necessary pressure between the specimens and the polishingdisc. `If desired, additional pressure canbe appliedto the specimenbyadjusting the thumb screw and thus increasing the tension of the flatspring which is located on top of thespecimen carrying arm. Theadditional pressure is transmitted to the specimen from the spring bymeans of a pin which extends .through the'shaft carry-V ing the specimenholder sleeve andfwhich rests on a disc placed on top of the specimenring.

With these and other objects in View, thein'- vention consists inthenovel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in some of its embodiments in the accompanyingdrawings and particularly' pointed out inthe appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a per-r with' certain of thevparts broken 'away for convenience in illustrating the details of thispart` of` the mechanism. 1 f

' Figure-7 is a sectional view,'taken on line 1'-N1,f

Figure 6. i n

This improved polishing ymachine comprises a standlor frame l, having amotor 2, carried on a platform 45, which is secured to the frame at apointy intermediate its height. 'A belt. 3, con-4 nects the motor pulleyl2'in driving relation with a pulley 4, which is connected by a hollow.

shaft l|`for rotation with the polishing kdisc 5. A pair of guidepulleys AI ll are interposed between the pulleys tand I2. The guidepulleys l0 are carried byza supporting arm 44a which in turn is securedto a topplate la.y

Threespecimen holders 6 are carriedron piv- Votally mounted arms 'labove the disc 5. `The arms 1 are provided with gears 8, which areconnected in driving relation with the specimen holders. Y The gearsr 8engage an eccentrically secured gear il, which is revolved bythe motor2` so that in the operation' of the machine, the specimen carried by thespecimen holder E, is rotated.v Vand rat the same time'it is moved backand forth Lacross the face of the polishing disc in a substantiallyradial direction. Y

The pulley 4 and the polishing disc 5 are rigidly secured to each otherbymeans of a tubular shaft I I. The pulley 4 is somewhat larger than themotor pulley I2 and the disc 5 is therebydriven at a slower speed thanthatat which the mogear 9. Y

The planetary gears are inclosed within a two- V piece housing which isformed in partby the l*pulley 4 and the casing 29. ,The pulley 4 andcasing* 29 are secured to each other by the cap screws 38. The upper endof the gear housing is journaled in anti-friction bearings 22 and at itslower'end it isvjournaled in anti-friction bearings 28. The bearings 28are carried on a fixed shaft 32A which is rigidly secured to a supportarm26 by means of the set screw 21. The arm 26,1s rigid' with thedownwardly extending hubpart 24a of the bed plate24. A bushing 23 iscarried in the Vupper end of the hub-part to provide a bearing for `thehollow shaft `I I.

f The gear I3 is lxedly secured to the shaft 32.

AThe gearsV I5 and I6 are keyed to a'shaft I5a whichis journaled forrotation in the housing f bearings 35 and 36. 1 The larger of these twogearsV meshes with they stationary Vgear I3 while the smaller gear I6,meshes with the gear I4 which issecured in axial alignment to the gearI9.

VThe gears I4 and I9 are journaled forfrota-4 tion on the lower end ofthe 'shaft 34. Thefpair of gears I1 and` I8 Vare'keyed to alshaft I1a,which is mounted for rotation in the housing bearings 3| and 31.A Thegear I1 meshes with thegear I9and the gear I8meshes with the gear 20,which ispinned to the shaft 34. Y

The specifications for the gearsare as follows: Gear I3, Y twenty-fourpitch, forty-eight teeth.

Gear I4,`thirtytwo pitch, sixty-five teeth. Gearv ducedrspeedas comparedwith the. speed of rota-V tion of the gear housing or thev disc 5'whichrotates with it. Y I

'In' the present case, the gear reduction is one hundred to one;Y thatis' for every hundred revolutions of the pulley 4,'the shaft 34 makes.one revolution. It will thus be seen thatv when the motoris started,the pulley 4 Vand the polishing disc` 5 Vare directly driven by themotor Y2 at Va relatively'high speed,` while the shaft A34 and theeccentric gear 9 are driven atV avrelative'ly slow speed. The-gear 9 iseccentric to its shaft and its engagement withthe gears 8, which arecar- -ried bythe arms 1, causes the rotation of these gears and thespecimen holders 6 and at the same time moves `the arms toward and awayfrom the center of vthe polishing disc with an oscillating. motion.

The arms 1 are secured at their outer ends to shafts 2|, which arejournaledin the bushings 38 and 39. I'hese bushings are carried instandards 40, which are integrally formed with the bed Vplate 24. Theshafts 2| are so arranged that they'may be readily removed from theirbearings by simply raising the arm 1. The arms 1 and gears 8 are heldagainst the eccentric gear 9 by the torsion springs 42. One end of thespring 42 engages a pin 43, carried `by the arm 1, while the other endof the spring engages the adjustable collar 44` by means of which thetension of the spring may be adjusted. A thumb screw 4I is provided tohold the collar 44 in its adjusted position. Y

An important feature ofv my invention is the driving mechanism of theV'disc 5 Vand eccentricV gear 9. As previously stated, the hollow shaftI I is journaled in a lower anti-friction bearing 22 and an upper plainbearing 23. The shaftlis closely tted Within thehollow shaft IIwhich'at'its upper end is provided with a bushing- 33. Y Y

ing the specimenat all times in proper relation with respect to thepolishing disc 5. In accomplishing this object, the'specimen holdingcupv 6 of the device, is rigidly secured to a. hollow shaft 52, which isjournaled in a sleeve 53, Vformed in,

the inner end of the arm 1. The gear 8 is keyedv tothe shaftl 52 andsecurely held thereon,'by means of the nut 54 IA pin 55 extendsvthroughthe hollow shaft 52 and at its upper end it terminates at a point abovethegear 8, and at rits Y, that of providing suitable mechanism rforretain-A lower end it terminates at a point just inside of f the cup 6.The pin 55 is engaged by Va ilat spring 5I), which is carried'by theVarm 1. The tension the spring 5I)l exerts on the pin 55 may beadjustedv from zero to maximum by means of a thumb screw 5I. lA collar56 is carried on the pin 55 at a point adjacent to its upper end for thepurpose of limiting its downward movement.

The cup 6 is vertically slotted at 46 for` receiving the pins 48 of thehollow cylinder or ringV v41, in which a specimen 51 is mounted by meansof wax or any other suitable medium58. The top of the ring 41 is fittedwith a cover plate 49,

which is engaged by the Ypin 55 for the purpose of holding the specimen51 in contact with the polishing'disc 5.

The cylinder41 is very closely, yet freely fitte in the cup 6, so'thatit may be easily movedfto take up the wear of the specimen and at thesame time hold the surface ofthe specimen in the plane ofA the polishingdisc. A-guard 25 isA prof vided to catch the abrasive and polishingmaterials which are thrown off of the disc Bdurin the operation of themachine.v

simply removing the arms 1 whereupon the cyl inders 41 and the specimenswhich they hold can be easily inserted or removed. The speed ofadjusting the tension on the springsV 5B. In many cases, the weight ofelements supported by specistting up grinding or polishing can bereadily changedfby mens, provides sufficient pressure betweenthediscfand the specimen. I

f In most cases, the initial work is performed on the specimen with vacertain amount of spring tension and during the finishing polishingoperation, the weight of the specimen and its holder is used to providethe contact pressure between the specimenand the plate 5.

lThese operations can be carried out Without any attention onvthe partof the operator. The specimen is set in its holder so that at the startof the operation, therek is a slight amount of clearance between thecollar 56fand the top of the'hollow shaft 52. This clearance determinesthe amount of material which is ground off the specimen at high speed byreason of the tension of thespring 50. When the collar engages the shaft52 'the tension of the spring no longer affects the specimen and thefinishing pressure is reduced to the weight'of the specimen of itshold'-er. In this manner the specimens are quickly ground and polished toplane and highly polished surface without any particular attention orskill on the part of the operator.r

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular forms ofapparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth,are presented r'for purposes of explanation and illustration and thatvarious modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be madewithout departing .from this invention as defined in the appendedclaims. y i i Having thus des vribed this invention, what'is claimedis:A

1. In a grinding and polishing machine, in combination, a support, adisc mounted for rota'- tion in saidV support, a specimen holderpivotally mounted on said support in operative relation with said discAa gear casing, a tubular shaft connecting said gear casing with saiddisc, means for rotating said gear casing, a second shaft in saidtubular'shaft, means connecting said specimen holder and second shaft indriving relation, and means in said gear casing for .driving said secondshaft..

2. In a grinding' and polishing machine, in combination, a support, adisc mounted for rotation in saidsupport, a specimen holder pivotallymounted on said support in operative relation with said disc, `a gearcasinga tubular shaft connecting said v,gear casing with said disc,means forrotating said gear casing, a second shaft in said tubularshaft, means connecting said specimen holder and second shaft indriving'relation, and means in said gear casing for driving said secondshaft at a different speed than that of said casing and tubular shaft.

3; In -a grinding and polishing machine, in combination, a support, adisc mounted for ro. tation inisaid support, a specimen holderpivotallymounted on said support in operative relation withsaid disc,VaV gear casing, la tubular shaft connecting said gear casing with saiddisc, means for rotating said gear casing, a seco-nd shaft in saidtubularshaft, means connecting said specimen holdery and second shaft indriving relation,

and means in said gear casing for driving said` second shaft at a slowerspeed than that of said tubular shaft. y

4. In aV grinding and polishing machine, in

combination, a support,a,disc mounted for roconnecting said `gear casingwith said disc, means for rotating'said gear casing, a seco-nd shaft insaid 'tubular shaft, means connecting said specimen holder and secondshaft'in driving relation,

and speed reducing gearing in said casing forv l driving saidsecondshaft at a slower speed than that of said tubular snaft.v Y

5. In a grinding and polishing machine, in combination a support, a discmountedfor rotation in said support, a specimen holder pivotally mountedon said support yin operative relation with said disc, a gear casing, atubular shaft connecting said gear casing with said'disc, means forrotating said gear casing, a second shaft in said tubular shaft, meansconnecting said speci men holder and second shaft in driving' relation,and planetary gearing in said casing for driving said second shaft at aslower speed than that of said tubular shaft. i f- I 6. In a grindingvand polishing machine, in combination, a support, a disc mounted forrotation in said support, an arm pivotallymounted on said `support formovement aboutavertical axis, specimen holder journaled for rotationabout a vertical axis insaid arm, a gear casing, a tubular shaftconnecting said gear casingwith said disc, means for rotating saidgearcasingfa second shaft in said tubular shaft, means vconnecting saidspecimen holder and saidsecond shaftfindriv ing relation, and means insaid gear casing for driving said second shaft.

7. In a grindingand polishingA machine'inlfcombination, a support, adiscmounted Yfornita-1r tion in said support, an armpivotally v'mounted onsaid support for movement about 'a vertical axis, specimen holderjournaled for rotation about a vertical axis in said arm, gear casing',a tubular shaft connecting said gear casing with said disc, means forrotating said gear casing, a second shaft `in said vtu'joularYshaftpi-means connecting" said specimen holder and said second shaft inon said support for movement about avcrtical axis, specimen holderjournaled for rotation aboutl a vertical axis in said arm, a gearcasing, a tubular shaft connecting said gear casing with said disc,means for rotating saidgear casing,.a second shaft in said tubularshaft,rme'ans connecting said ,i

specimen holder and said second shaft in driving relation, and planetarygearing in said casing-forV driving said second shaft at a slower speedthan that of said tubular shaft.

9. In a grinding and polishing machine, in combination, a support, adisc mountedfor rotation insaid'support, an arm'pivotallylmounted onsaid Asupport for movement about` a vertical axis, specimen holderjournaled for rotation about a Vertical axis in said arm, a gear casing,a-tubula-r shaft connecting said gear casing with said disc, means forrotating said gear casing, a second shaft in said tubular shaft, an'eccentrically located gear secured to said second shaft, a gear securedfor rotationwith said-specimen holder meshing Vwith said eccentricallylocatedl gear,- meansconnecting said specimenholder and said secondshaft in drivingrelation, and means inA said gear casing for drivingsaid second shaft.V

10. In a grinding and polishing machine,Y in4 combination, a` support, adiscfmou'nted for rotation in said support, an arm pivotally mounted onsaid-support for movement abouta vertical axis, specimen holdervjournaled for rotation about a vertical axis insaidarm, a gear casing,A

a tubular shaft connecting said gear. casing, a second shaft in saidtubular shaft, an eccentrically located gear secured to'said ysecondshaft, a` gear secured for rotation with said specimen holder meshingwith said-eccentrically located gear, means connecting said specimenholder and said second .shaft in rdriving relation, and means in saidgear casing for driving said secondshaft at a slower speed than that ofsaid tubular'shaft. Y 11. In a grinding and polishing machine, in

Y combination, a support, a disc mounted lfor rotalf tion in saidsupport, an arm pivotally mounted on said support for movement about avvertical'axis,

Y specimen holder journaled forl rotation about va vertical axis in saidarm, a gear casing, a tubular shaft connecting said gear casing withsaid disc,

' a s econdrshaft in said tubular shaft, means for rotating said gearcasing, an eccentrically located gear secured to said secondshaft, agearsecured for rotation with Vsaid specimen holder 'meshing with saideccentrically located gear, means con- .necting said specimen holder andsaid second shaft in driving relation, and means in said gear casingrfor driving said second shaft.

12. -In a. grinding and polishingmachine, in

combination, a support, a disc mounted for rota- V tion in said support,an arm pivotally mounted on i saidV support for movement aboutiravertical axis,

a specimen holderjournaledffor rotation about layertical axisin said armfor holding a specimen 4in contact with said disc, a gear casing,atubular ,Y shaftconnecting said vgear casing with said disc, a1 second`shaft in said tubular shaft, means 'con-- necting the second shaftandspecimen holder in fdriving relation, meansi for automatically de,-r 1creasing the pressure of contact Vbetween the specimen and said discafter a certain amount of material has been ground off Ythe specimen,and` means in said gear casing for driving said second shaft. Y l

13. In a grinding and kpolishing 'machina in combination, a support, adisc mounted for rotation in said support, an arm pivotally mounted onsaid support for movement about a vertical axis, a specimen holderjournaled for rotation about a vertical axis in saidv arm for holding aspecimen o in contact with said disc, a gear casing, a tubular shaftconnecting said gear casing with said disc, means; for rotating saidgear casing, a second shaft in said tubular shaft, means connecting theksecond shaft and specimenholder in driving relation,adjustable-m'eans'for varying the pressure of contact between thespecimen-and' said disc,

. and -means in said gear casing for driving said second shaft at aslower speed than that of saidV tubular shaft. f

14. In a grinding and polishing machine, in

. combination, a supporta discmounted for rotation in said support, anarm pivotally mounted on said support for movement about a verticalaxis, a specimen holder journaled for 'rotation about a vertical axisVin said armfor holding a specimen incontact with said disc, a gearcasing, a V tubular shaft connecting said gear casing with said disc,means for rotating said gear casing, a secondshaft'in said tubularshaft, means connecting the second shaft and specimen holder 1n drivingrelation, adjustable means for varying the pressure of contact betweenthe specimen and said disc, andy planetary gearing in said casing fordriving said vsecond shaft at a slower speed than that of said tubularshaft. Y

means in said combination, a support,a disc mounted-forrotation in saidsupport,ran arm removably and pivotally mounted on said support forYmovement about a vertical axis, a specimen holder` journaledforrotation about a vertical axis-in said arm, a gear casing, a tubularshaft connecting said gear casing. with said disc, means Afor rotat-Aing said gear casing, a second shaftin said tubular shaft,meansconnecting j said specimen holder and said second shaft in vdrivingrelation,an`d means in said gear casing 'for driving said second shaftat a slower speed than that-of `said,i'.ubular Shaft. Y

1'7. In a grinding and, polishing..l machine, in combination, a supportadiscmo'unted for rota.- tion in said support, an arm removably andDivabout a vertical axis,` a specimen holderv jour;

naled for rotation about,,arlvertical axis in said arm, a gear casing, atubular shaft connecting said gear casing with saidfdisc, means forrotatlar shaft, means connecting said specimen hold-v er and said secondshaftin driving relation, and planetary gearingin said casing fordriving said4 Vsecondshaft at a slower'speedy than that of `saidtubularshaft. Y. .o ,y f

` 18. In agrinding andlpolishingmachinmin combination, asu'pport, adisc` mountedforro` tation in said support, an removably andV pivotallymounted on saidv support for movement about a vertical a specimen holderjour-4 naled for rotation about ay vertical axis in said arm, means formounting a specimen removabhw fitted inV said specimenholder, a gearcasing, a tubular shaft connecting said gear casing with saidv disc',means Vfor rotating saidgear casing, Y

a second shaftoin said tubular shaft, means connecting said specimenholder and said second shaft in driving relation, and means in said gearcasingfor driving saidy second shaft.

V19. In aV grinding and polishing machine,`

combination, a support, a disc mounted for rotation in said support; anarm removably and' pivotallymounted onosaidsupport for movement about avertical axis, a'specimen' holder jour"-z naled forV rotation aboutavertical axis insaid 30. otally mounted on Asaidsupport formovement asY v ing said gear casing, a second shaft in tubuarm, means for mountinga; specimen removably fitted in saidspecimen holder, a gear casing, a

tubular shaft connecting said ygear Vcasing 'with' saiddisc, means forlrotating said gear casing, a second shaft in said tubular sha'ftpmeanscon-l necting said specimen holder and V-said second shaft in drivingrelation, and means'in said gear' casing for driving said second shaftat a-slowerspeed than that of said tubular shaft.

.y 20. In agrinding and polishing machine, in combination, a support, adiscmounted .for -rotation in said support, an arm removably andvplvotally mounted on saidA support for movement about avertical axis, aspecimen'holder 'ajour- .ze g

naled for rotation about a Vertical axis in said arm, means for mountinga specimen removably fitted in said specimen holder, a gear casing, atubular shaft connecting said gear casing With said disc, means forrotating said gear casing, a second shaft in said tubular shaft, meansconnecting said specimen holder and said second shaft in drivingrelation, and planetary gearing in said casing for driving said secondshaft at a slower speed than that of said tubular shaft.

2l. A sample support including an arm, a shaft rotatably mountedthereon, a holder slidably connected with said shaft, a spring elementrigid with `the arm and extending over the end of the shaft, and meansto transmit the force of the spring to the holder `to urge it in onedirection axially of the shaft while the same is inmotion.

22. A device as in claim 21, and means to adjust the tension of thespring.

23. A sample support including an arm, va holloW shaft rotatably mountedthereon, a holder slidably connected with said shaft, a spring devicesecured to the arm and overlying the end of the shaft, a pin slidable inthe shaft and abutting the holder and. the spring whereby to transmitthe force of the spring to the holden v 24. A sample support includingan arm, a shaft rotatably mounted therein, a holder slidably connectedwith said shaft, a tension element mounted at one end of said arm, meansconnecting the other end of said tension element with said holder, andan adjustable fulcrum for varying'the.

tension of said element on said connecting element.

' JOSEPHINE A. CASTONGUAY,

Admm'stratrzx of the Estate of ALeger S. Gastonguay, Deceased.

